Unique IAS Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 2019
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NATIONAL NEWS
ULTRASENSITIVE QUANTUM THERMOMETER:
The researchers at Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi) have developed an ultrasensitive quantum thermometer using graphene quantum dots. The thermometer can precisely measure a wide range of temperature: 27°C to –196°C. It has high sensitivity when measuring different temperatures and can measure very minute (micro Kelvin) changes in temperature. It showed extremely quick response time of just about 300 milliseconds to register a change in temperature from 27°C to –196°C.
AWARENESS PROGRAMME ON GST :
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has launched an awareness programme on Goods and Services Tax (GST) in collaboration with Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Institute Limited to help small scale businesses. The purpose of the GST programme is to impart basic knowledge and skills required to fulfil various requirements under the GST Act. It would be beneficial to people who are engaged in maintaining accounts and filing of various indirect tax returns. Those who have passed Class 12 are eligible for the course, which will be offered in January and July cycle of admissions.
RAKESH KUMAR SINGH BHADAURIA HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS THE NEW VICE CHIEF OF INDIAN AIR FORCE (IAF):
Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of Indian Air Force (IAF). He succeeded Air Marshal Anil Khosla. Prior to this post, Bhadauria was head of IAF‘s Bengaluru-based Training Command.
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Unique IAS Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 2019
He went on to hold several important positions such as Commandant of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Senior Air Staff Officer at the Central Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from January 2016 to February 28, 2017.
E-MOBILITY:
The Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) have signed a MoU for cooperation on various projects related to e-mobility. BHEL's unique strength as technology developer and implementer and ARAI's advanced facilities and expertise in design, testing and certification of mobility products, will generate synergies in implementing solutions for Electric & Trolley Bus, EV Chargers, Battery & Charger testing, etc.
ARAI :
The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is an autonomous body affiliated to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises (MoHI&PE). objectives of the Association are Research and Development in automotive engineering for industry, product design and development, evaluation of automotive equipment and ancillaries, standardization, technical information services, execution of advanced courses on the application of modern technology and conduct of specific tests.
IIT HAS DEVELOPED AN EASY OCR SYSTEM FOR READING BHARTI SCRIPT:
Dr. Srinivasa Chakravathy and his team at IIT Madras has developed a unified script for nine Indian languages, named the Bharati script. The team has developed a method for reading documents in Bharati script using a multi-lingual Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scheme. In collaboration with TCS Mumbai, the researchers have found a way for persons with hearing disability to generate signatures using this finger-spelling technique. The scripts that have been integrated include Devnagari, Bengali, Gurmukhi, Gujarati, Oriya, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil.
NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME :
The Union Environment Ministry has constituted a committee to implement the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which aims to reduce particulate matter (PM) pollution by 20%- 30% in atleast 102 cities by 2024.
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Unique IAS Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 2019
The committee will be chaired by the Secretary, Union Environment Ministry,. The NCAP is envisioned as a five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year and 2017 as base year. There would be a review every five years. The purpose of the committee is to ensure inter ministerial organisation and cooperation, share information and resolve issues that could arise between ministries. The NCAP requires cities to implement specific measures such as ensuring roads are pothole- free to improve traffic flow and thereby reduce dust (within 60 days) or ensuring strict action against unauthorised brick kilns (within 30 days).
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR WASTE TO WEALTH TECHNOLOGIES:
To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and IIT Delhi have signed an MoU to set up a Centre of Excellence for Waste to Wealth Technologies for implementation of sustainable, scientific and technological solutions for waste management, through validation and deployment of available technologies for transformation of waste to wealth. The waste to wealth mission project has been approved under the recently constitute Prime Minister‘s Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
FORMER ISRO CHIEF HAS BEEN BESTOWED WITH FRANCE'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN AWARD:
Former ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar has been conferred with France's highest civilian award -Chevalier de l'Ordre national de la Lgion d‘Honneur - for his contribution to India- France space cooperation.
VARUNA 19.1
The first part of the Indo-French joint naval exercise - Varuna 19.1 – has started off the Goa coast from 1 to 10 May 2019. The exercise will see the participation of the French Navy's aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers, FNS Forbin and FNS Provence, the frigate FNS Latouche, the tanker FNS Marne and a nuclear submarine. From the Indian side, the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, destroyer INS Mumbai, the Teg- class frigate, INS Tarkash, the Shishumar- class submarine, INS Shankul, and the Deepak- class
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Unique IAS Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 2019
fleet tanker, INS Deepak, are taking part in the exercise. The exercise is being conducted in two phases First phase - Harbour phase -The harbour phase at Goa would include cross-visits, professional interactions and discussions and sports events. Second phase- Sea phase -would comprise various exercises across the spectrum of maritime operations. The second part of the exercise - Varuna 19.2 - is scheduled to be held in May end in Djibouti.
INDIA‘S BIGGEST STUCCO SCULPTURE :
Archaeologists in Telangana have recently unearthed a rare life-sized stucco sculpture from a Buddhist site at Phanigiri in Suryapet. It is considered to be the biggest stucco sculpture found in the excavations in the country till date. The sculpture is about 1.73 metres in height and 35 cm in width.
WATER AND POWER CONSULTANCY SERVICES (INDIA) LIMITED (WAPCOS) :
The Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL) has inked a MoU with Water & Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WAPCOS) to jointly identify suitable future projects and carry out geotechnical investigation and engineering consultancy. The two firms will work together to explore projects in water resources, power and infrastructure, port and harbour dredging, shallow water dredging, beach nourishment, lake rehabilitation, flood management, erosion control, river morphology and other related sectors.
WAPCOS:
Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited is a mini ratna PSU under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. The headquarters of WAPCOS is located at New Delhi.
INDIA‘S TOP CRUDE OIL SUPPLIER :
For the second year in a row, Iraq has become India‘s top crude oil supplier in 2018-19 fiscal year and meet more than a fifth of the country‘s oil needs. Iraq sold 46.61 million tonnes (Mt) of crude oil to India during April 2018 and March 2019, which is 2% more than 45.74 Mt it had supplied in 2017-18 fiscal
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Unique IAS Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 2019
Saudi Arabia also maintained its position as the 2nd-largest crude supplier to India during the year followed by Iran and United Arab Emirates (UAE) which toppled Venezuela to become India's fourth largest crude supplier. Despite US sanctions on Iran, the country‘s crude oil supply to India increased 6.24% to 24 MT in 2018-19.
MAWMLUH CAVE :
In Meghalaya, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) North Eastern Region (NER) has recently installed two geological display boards at two important geological sites mawmluh cave and therrighat in the State with geoscientific information which will help in creating awareness among visiting tourists, students and the general public. The stalagmite in the Mawmluh cave has been tagged a Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). It makes it first formally ratified marker of a geological time period in India. There is also a high level of iridium metal from the boundary which marks catastrophic event when a giant meteorite hit earth. The Meghalayan Age period began about 4200 years ago experienced an abrupt mega-drought and cooling around the world.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA (SEBI) BARRED THE NATIONAL STOCK EXCHANGE
On 30th April 2019, Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) barred the National Stock Exchange from raising money on the securities market directly or indirectly for six months on the collocation case. This means the NSE will not able to access the capital market in terms of IPO during this period. The regulator has also asked the exchange to disgorge around Rs 1,000 crore (i.e. Rs 624.89 crore plus 12% interest) from April 1, 2014 to the SEBI‘s Investor Protection and Education Fund (IPEF). As per 104-page SEBI order, NSE has committed a fraudulent and unfair trade practice as contemplated under the SEBI (PFUTP) Regulations.
PFUTP:
Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices rules. Tick-by-Tick (TBT) is a data feed that which provides information regarding every change in the order book on the NSE. The Co-location refers to the system wherein a broker‘s server is kept in the exchange premises to reduce latency (or delay in computing terms) while executing trades.
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Unique IAS Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 2019
GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCE (GSP)
The Generalized System of Preference (GSP) is the largest and oldest US trade preference programme and is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries. U.S to end GSP with India Recently, it is in news because a group of 25 influential American lawmakers has urged the US Trade Representative - Robert Lighthizer - not to terminate the GSP programme after the expiry of the 60-day notice on 3rd May 2019. They also urged to continue negotiating a deal that protects and promotes jobs that rely on trade - both imports and exports - with India.
FIRST INDEPENDENT WOMAN DIRECTOR OF BOMBAY STOCK EXCHANGE :
M Jayshree Vyas, a professionally-qualified chartered accountant, has been appointed as the first independent woman director of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). As of April 6, 51 of the top 500 NSE-listed companies by market capitalisation (including BSE) did not have independent woman director, according to nseinfobase.com run by Prime Database. In March alone, about 50 companies made a beeline to appoint an independent woman director. BSE already has two non-executive women directors namely Usha Sangwan and Rajeshree Sabnavis on its Board. The Companies Act of 2013 mandates a certain class of companies to have at least one woman director on board. SEBIs, in compliance with the Companies Act 2013, made it compulsory to have at least one woman on a board from October 2014.
RANI ABBAKKA FORCE :
Mangaluru City Police has launched an all-women police patrol unit ‗Rani Abbakka Force‘ for the protection of women and children. The force will cover the malls, beaches, educational institutions, places of religious importance, and public transport system in the city. It will handle issues related to eve-teasing and chain-snatching, among others. All-women police patrol force has been named after the 16th century warrior of coastal Karnataka, Queen Abbakka of Ullal near Mangaluru, who fought the Portuguese in the 16th century. At present, 50 women policewomen have been deployed in ‗Rani Abbakka Force‘ in the city
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Unique IAS Academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 2019
16TH MINISTERIAL MEETING OF ASIA COOPERATION DIALOGUE (ACD-2019):
The 16th Ministerial Meeting of Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD-2019) was held in Doha, Qatar from April 30-May 2 with theme ―Partners in Progress‖. Gen. (Dr) V.K. Singh (Retd), Minister of State for External Affairs led the Indian delegation. On the basis of 2019 theme, Dr. Singh underlined India‘s desire for working cooperatively with all ACD Member States in line with the Government of India‘s approach of ―Collective Efforts, Inclusive Growth‖. He also urged the Member States to join the International Solar Alliance launched in November 2015.
INS VELA: The fourth of Indian Navy‘s stealth Scorpene class Submarines of Project 75, INS VELA has recently launched for trials at the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. submarines are being built at Mazagon Dock Limited, with the main collaborator being M/s navalgroup, France. The Scorpene-class submarine in the Indian Navy has been termed as the Kalvari-class.
PROJECT 75:
In 2005, a contract was signed between French DCNS (now Naval Group) and MDL under Indian Navy's Project-75 for the supply of six submarines. Of the six submarines, INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2018 while INS Khanderi and INS Karanj are are in advanced stages to join the Navy fleet. The remaining two — INS Vagir and INS Vagsheer are in the in the "advanced stages of manufacturing" at the Mazagon Dock. The contract is expected to be completed by 2020.
OFFICER ON SPECIAL DUTY (OSD) IN THE OFFICE OF LOKPAL:
Dilip Kumar, a 1995-batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre, has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the office of Lokpal. It is perhaps the first official appointment of a bureaucrat in Lokpal. Earlier, on 23rd March 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the chairperson of the anti-corruption ombudsman.
LOKPAL:
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Lokpal Act, 2013 The Lokpal Act, 2013 provides for a mechanism to inquire into corruption related allegations against public servants. The members of the Lokpal (Lokayuktas) shall be appointed by the President (Governor) on the basis of the recommendations of the Selection Committee.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas shall consist of one chairperson and up to eight members.
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Fifty percent of the other members shall be judicial members (judges of the Supreme Court and Chief Justices of the High Court in case of Lokpal and judge of a High Court in case of Lokayuktas). A non-judicial member is required to have 25 years experience in anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance and finance.
IIT HAS TIED UP WITH E-GOVERNANCE SERVICES INDIA LIMITED TO UPSCALE UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN
Common Service Centre‘s (CSC) e-Governance Services India Limited has tied up with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur to upscale ‗Unnat Bharat Abhiyan‘, which is an initiative of the Ministry of HRD. It aims to find solutions to accelerate sustainable growth in rural India. Under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, IIT-Kanpur has brought together 15 leading higher education institutions from Uttar Pradesh. These institutions have agreed to work with CSC for the development of villages under the scheme. IIT Kanpur has adopted five villages -- Hridayapur, Baikanthpur, Ishwariganj, Pratappur Hari and Saxupurva -- situated on the outskirts of Kanpur for its overall development. The e-Governance Services India is a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Electronics & IT.
INDIANS ARE AMONG 115 UN PERSONNEL STAFF HONOURED FOR SACRIFICE IN LINE OF DUTY:
Two Indians - an Indian police officer Jitender Kumar deployed to the UN mission in Congo and a consultant Shikha Garg with the UN development programme, killed in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, are among 115 UN peacekeepers and staff honoured by the global organisation for their sacrifice. They lost their lives in the service of peace between January 2018 and March 2019. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, along with top UN officials and Peacekeeping personnel paid tribute to 115 peacekeepers from 43 different nations, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty at the solemn ceremony on May 5, 2019.
GRIHA FOR EXISTING DAY SCHOOLS‘
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In a bid to evaluate the environmental performance of existing schools across India, the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Council has recently released a rating tool ‗GRIHA for Existing Day Schools‘ The rating tool will work as an integrated tool to evaluate performance and provide solutions for enhanced energy and water efficiencies and decreased operational and maintenance costs. The purpose of the rating is to familiarize the students with the concepts of sustainability by involving them, under the guidance of their teachers, on evaluating the impact of schools on the environment.
INS RANJIT
Frontline missile destroyer of the Indian Navy ‗INS Ranjit‘ has recently decommissioned at a solemn ceremony at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, after serving the Indian navy for 36 years.INS Ranjit is the third of the five Kashin-class destroyers built by the erstwhile USSR and was commissioned on September 15 1983 by Captain Vishnu Bhagwat. Since being commissioned, INS Ranjit has sailed for 2,190 days, covering over 7, 43, 000 nautical miles, equivalent to navigating around the world 35 times and 3.5 times the distance from the earth to the moon
NEW CHIEF JUSTICE OF CHHATTISGARH HIGH COURT:
Justice PR Ramachandra Menon has been sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. Governor Anandiben Patel administered him the oath of office and secrecy at a function at Raj Bhawan The Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President with the consultation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Governor of the State. The other judges are appointed by the will of President, Governor and the Chief Justice of High Court.
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD:
India‘s Jagjit Pavadia has been re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for a 5-year term beginning 2nd March, 2020
INCB:
Established in 1968, the INCB is an independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body for the implementation of the UN's international drug control conventions.
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INCB consists of 13 members who are elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and who serve in their personal capacity.
BLACK LIST‘ OF INDIAN-ORIGIN PEOPLE:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to discard its 'Black List' of Indian- origin people, who have taken asylum abroad under the plea of alleged persecution in India. All such people will also be given regular visa as well as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). Such Indian-origin people can also get OCI cards if they have held normal Indian visas for at least two years
DESERT STORM 2019:
The Desert Storm 2019 is touted to be the longest Cross Country Rally in India, which is started from Bikaner in Rajasthan on 8th May. The 4-day-long Rally will see over 100 teams competing in high temperatures, treacherous dune crossings and fast technical gravel straights which will pose an exciting challenge to the competitors.
DR. NR MADHAVA MENON, THE FATHER OF MODERN INDIAN LEGAL EDUCATION HAS PASSED AWAY
Dr. NR Madhava Menon (84), the renowned academician and father of modern Indian Legal Education, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on May 8. He is credited for revolutionizing the field of legal education by establishing National Law Schools and by conceptualizing the 5-year integrated LLB programme. He was the founder Director of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore and the National Judicial Academy (NJA) Bhopal and the founder, Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS)
NOVEL FUNCTION FOR STRESS BUSTER SEROTONIN TO TREAT NEUROLOGICAL DECLINE:
The researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai have found a novel function for serotonin (a chemical that signals between neurons). The recent discovery establishes that serotonin is involved in the generation of new mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) in neurons, increased cellular respiration and fuel
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(ATP) in the cell.The chemical can impact the manner in which neurons grapple with stress and affect the trajectory of ageing. Abnormal mitochondrial functions are known to cause or contribute to neuronal death. Hence, the new findings from TIFR raise the possibility that serotonin signalling could be used to prevent mitochondrial abnormalities and neuronal loss. Serotonin‘s newly indentified function has been studied in mice and rats. The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The chemical name of serotonin is 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT).
PAKKAMALAI RESERVE FOREST :
For the first time, researchers have recently sighted nests of the grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) at PAKKAMALAI RESERVE FORESTS near Gingee (Tamil Nadu) in the Eastern Ghats It is an endangered species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The grizzled giant squirrel is usually known to nest in the Western Ghats in Southern India ranging from Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary in Kerala to Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Palani hills in Tamil Nadu the species has been categorized as Near threatened by the Red List and listed under Schedule II of CITES.
CSIR HAS RECENTLY CARRIED OUT FIRST-EVER GENETIC STUDIES:
Recently, the team of scientists at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) carried out first-ever genetic studies on the people of Lakshadweep Islands. The scientist have studied at the major islands of Agatti, Andorth, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmat, Kalpeni, Kiltan and Minicoy of Lakshadweep They analyzed DNA samples of 557 individuals from these 8 major islands for mitochondrial DNA and 166 individuals for Y chromosome markers. The paternal and maternal ancestries of the majority of island populations suggest their arrival from distinct sources. They found that the maternal ancestry was closer to South Indian populations, whereas the paternal ancestry is more similar to the Maldives and North India. Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 36 islands and scattered over approximately 78,000 square km of the Arabian Sea with population of approximately 65,000
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BRAHMAKALASHOTHSAVA FESTIVAL:
The 6-day Brahmakalashothsava festival is celebrated in the ancient Chandkuru Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple annually in Polali, Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. The presiding deity of the temple, which has a history of nearly 1,700 years, is Shri Rajarajeshwari. The highlight of this temple is its mud idols and this is probably the only idol of this size (about 9ft height) in Karnataka. several Dalits and OBCs from Chandkuru and surrounding villages in Belthangady taluk boycotted festival in a centuries old temple due to separate seating arrangement had been made for people of the upper caste.
INDIAN PERSONALITY HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS NEW SDG ADVOCATE OF UN:
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed 17 global figures including Indian actress Dia Mirza and Alibaba chief Jack Ma asthe new advocates to drive action and solidify global political will for the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG):
It replaced the millennium development goals, which were adopted in 2000 and ended in 2015. The SDG has 17 goals, which were adopted by world leaders on September 25, 2015. The SDG should achieve at 2030 by all countries.
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INDIA'S FIRST UPI BAHI KHATA FOR MERCHANTS HAS BEEN LAUNCHED :
BharatPe has launched India's first UPI Bahi Khata for merchants, which allows merchants to record their cash/ credit (udhar) sales customer wise. It also serves as a networking platform for merchants to connect and collaborate with other BharatPe merchants near them to source and expand their businesses. BharatPe is the India‘s first fintech start-up enabling payments for merchants through interoperable UPI QR codes.
INDIA‘S NEWEST PIT VIPER :
A team of herpetologists led by Ashok Captain have described a new species of reddish-brown pit viper — a venomous snake with a unique heat-sensing system —from a forest in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery makes the Arunachal pit viper (Trimeresurus arunachalensis) the second serpent to have been discovered after the non-venomous crying keelback in the State‘s Lepa- Rada district in 2018. India had four brown pit vipers — Malabar, horseshoe, humpnosed and Himalayan — which were discovered 70 years ago. The discovery was recently published in the March-April volume of the Russian Journal of Herpetology. The new species also makes Arunachal Pradesh the only Indian state to have a pit viper named after it.
INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (IMMA):
Bajaj Auto Executive Director Rakesh Sharma has been elected as Vice President of Geneva- based International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Sharma is a representative of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). IMMA represents the manufacturing industry of powered two wheelers at the global level.
NAVAL EXERCISE ‗GROUP SAIL' :
6-day long exercise ‗Group Sail‘ with naval ships of Japan, Philippines and the United States of America (USA) in the disputed South China Sea from 03 May to 09 May 19. The aim of the Group Sail is to deepen the existing partnership and foster mutual understanding among participating navies. The ships undertook various exercises.
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The Group Sail exercise with naval ships of Japan, Philippines and United States showcased India‘s commitment towards operating with like-minded nations to ensure safe maritime environment through enhanced interoperability.
YEAR OF NEXT OF KIN:
The Indian Army has decided to commemorate 2019 as the ‗Year of Next of Kin‘ and plans to reach out to the next of kin of battle casualties, ex-servicemen and serving soldiers to inform them of entitled financial benefits, welfare schemes and help resolve pension related problems. The issue gains importance in light of most next of kin of deceased soldiers being unaware of the financial benefits that are entitled to them The Directorate of Indian Army Veterans will be the nodal agency. Earlier, the Indian Army marked 2018 as the 'Year of Disabled in the Line of Duty'.
KARNATAKA EXTENSION OF CONSEQUENTIAL SENIORITY TO GOVERNMENT SERVANTS PROMOTED ON THE BASIS OF RESERVATION :
The Supreme Court has recently upheld the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation (to the Posts in the Civil Services of the State) Act, 2018. The new Karnataka 2018 law grants reservation in promotion and seniority to Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) employees in the state. This judgment is significant as Karnataka becomes the first State to gain from a Constitution (5-judge) Bench order of September 2018 that modified a 2006 order requiring the States to show quantifiable data to prove the ―backwardness‖ of a SC/ST community in order to provide quota in promotion in public employment.
KONKAN RAILWAY CORPORATION LIMITED (KRCL):
The Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd (KRCL) has signed a contract agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets. The train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai. The 34 kms Jayanagar Kurtha Railway Link has been built by IRCON with Government of India financial grant under India Nepal Development Partnership programme. The KRCL is a Union Government Company headquartered at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai that operates Konkan Railway.
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NEW CHIEF JUSTICE OF KARNATAKA HIGH COURT:
Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka has been sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court. Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R Vala administered the oath of office to Justice Oka at the Raj Bhavan.
MOSQUITO DISEASE PROTECTION POLICY:
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has recently launched the 'Mosquito Disease Protection Policy'. This new policy will cover an individual against common mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue Fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis and Zika Virus. According to the report published by National Health Profile 2018, there has been an alarming rise in dengue cases in India, an increase of 300% between 2009-2017
YUVIKA 2019
ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan has recently inaugurated Young Scientist Programme (Yuvika-2019) for school children at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The initiative is primarily aimed at imparting basicknowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the younger ones with the intent of arousing their interest in the emerging areas of Space activities. The Yuvika (Yuva VIgyani KAryakram) 2019, which will be conducted from May 13 to 26, is a two week summer vacation residential training programme. It is launched by ISRO in tune with the Union Government‘s vision ‗Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan‘.
YOUNG SCIENTISTS TO ADVISE APEX COUNCIL:
The principal scientific advisor to the PM is putting together a team of young researchers who would act as sounding boards for new ideas and help implement the country‘s scientific missions. The Prime Minister‘s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC) has 21 members including senior researchers and government officials, who help develop and implement various missions.
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MADHYA PRADESH, WOMEN WILL HANDLE THE ENTIRE WORK OF COUNTING VOTES: In Madhya Pradesh, women will handle the entire work of counting votes in Harda district of the state. As per reports, the initiative is probably the first of its kind. Harda district is a part of Betul parliamentary seat and the counting of votes of Timarni and Harda assembly segments will take place at Harda district headquarter. At present, 84 women are being trained for counting in Polytechnic College. Apart from the counting of votes, only women will be deployed for the security of the counting centre. More than 75 percent of voting has been recorded in Harda district, so the number of votes is also high.
LECANORCHIS TAIWANIANA :
In Assam, a type of orchid - Lecanorchis taiwaniana (parasitic bloom) - has coincidentally discovered by Assam‘s forest officer named Jatindra Sarma. The parasitic bloom is a variant of a Japanese orchid. It is found to have a maximum height of 40 cm and a blossoming period of five-six days. Myco-heterotroph and is one of two types of parasitic plants that have abandoned photosynthesis. The discovery titled ―New record for the flora in India‖ is recently published in Japanese Journal of Botany.
TERESSA ISLAND:
May 9, the Indian Armed Forces carried out Exercise ―Bull Strike‖ at Teressa Island in Andaman and Nicobar (A&N). The military drill was conducted to showcase joint operations capability of the armed forces. Around 170 troops from three services – Army, Navy and the Air force undertook Para drop Ops in a Combat Free Fall & Static Line mode from the C-130 J. There were 149 Indian Army, 12 Indian Air Force and 9 Indian Navy soldiers who participated in several combat drills ahead of the jumps and during jumps.
INDIAN JUDGE HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS JUDGE OF SUPREME COURT OF FIJI:
Justice Madan B Lokur, the Retired Supreme Court judge of India, has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Fiji as a judge of its non-resident panel.
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He received the offer from the Chief Justice of the Fiji Supreme Court on the day of his superannuation from the Supreme Court.
THE FIRST FULL-FLEDGED SERVICES SELECTION BOARD (SSB) OF INDIAN NAVY:
The first full-fledged Services Selection Board (SSB) of Indian Navy has been inaugurated by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba at Diamond Harbour near Kolkata. The SSB (Kolkata) will boost the induction of officers, both men and women, into the Indian Navy. Its location will reduce the travel time and effort for candidates from northern and northeastern parts of the country. This is the fifth SSB of the Indian Navy and will cater for selection of both permanent and short service commission officers. The other boards are located in Bhopal, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Coimbatore.
NEWS BROADCASTING STANDARDS AUTHORITY (NBSA):
Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, the former judge of Supreme Court of India (SCI), has been appointed as the chairperson of News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA).
NBSA:
An independent body for self-regulation of 24x7 news channels, who are members of the NBA. Its task is to consider and adjudicate upon complaints about broadcasts.
INTERNATIONAL ARMY SCOUT MASTERS COMPETITION :
The 5th edition of ―International Army Scout Masters Competition‖ will be organized under the aegis of Konark Corps at Jaisalmer. Rajasthan from 24 July to 17 August 2019. This is the first time that India is the venue for the Army Scouts Masters Competition, which is part of International Army Games steered by Russia. The competition will be conducted in five stages, which will test the overall skills of Mechanized Infantry Scouts in simulated battle field scenarios. The competition will showcase combat training and promote camaraderie amongst the contestants, facilitate sharing of best practices as well as develop military and technical cooperation between participating nations.
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ICGS VIGRAHA:
After 29 glorious years of service from 1990 to 2019, the Indian Coast Guard ship (ICGS) Vigraha has recently decommissioned at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on May 16. ICGS Vigraha was the 7th Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel built by the Mazagaon Dock Limited, Mumbai and it was commissioned on April 12, 1990.
APACHE GUARDIAN HELICOPTERS:
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has recently received the first AH-64E (I) - Apache Guardian helicopter at Boeing production facility in Mesa, Arizona in the United States. The AH-64E Apache is a leading multi-role attack helicopter and is flown by the US Army. The IAF had signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US government and Boeing Ltd in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters.
HURUN INDIA ART LIST:
With sales estimated at Rs. 168.25 crore, London-based sculptor Anish Kapoor has topped the first edition of the Hurun India Art List. The Hurun Research Institute has ranked the top 50 Indian artists alive based on the sales of their works at public auction from April 2018 to March 2019. Hurun Report India in association with ArtPrice.com has recently unveiled the first edition of its India Art List, in which 24% of artists listed were women. Mr. Kapoor is known for using granite, marble, limestone and plaster to make geometric structures. He is the only artist to own the exclusive right to use the ‗blackest black‘ pigment in the world developed by Vanta black.
SASAKAWA AWARD 2019
Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Odisha-born IAS officer and Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India, has been conferred with the prestigious United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction for the year 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. He received the 2019 Sasakawa award in recognition of his long-term dedication to improve the resilience of communities most exposed to disasters and his personal commitment to social inclusion as a critical principle to reduce inequality and poverty, enhancing the safety net of the socially and economically marginalized.
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The UN SASKAWA AWARD;
The most prestigious international award in the area of Disaster Risk Management It was instituted more than 30 years ago and is jointly organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Nippon Foundation.
MOU SIGNED BETWEEN NMCG, HCL FOUNDATION AND INTACH FOR RUDRAKSH PLANTATION:
As an initiative towards a greener ecosystem in Ganga Basin, the tripartite MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was signed between National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), HCL Foundation and INTACH for taking up a project of ‗Plantation of Rudraksh Trees in Uttarakhand‘ under the ‗Namami Gange‘Programme. The aim of the project is to plant 10 thousand Rudrakshtrees in the catchment area of river Ganga in Uttarakhand in association with local community and other stakeholders
FIRST INDIAN STATE TO LIST MASALA BOND IN OVERSEAS MARKET:
On May 17, Kerala became the first sub-sovereign entity in the country to access the international market by listing masala bonds issued through its off budget mechanism - the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)
The resources earned through the bonds would be channelised for funding a clutch of infrastructure development projects cleared by the KIIFB director board.
MASALA BONDS:
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SIMBEX-19:
The 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX)-19 has commenced in the South China Sea on May 19. The 4-day naval drill exercise will include various maritime combat drills such as advanced aerial tracking, coordinated targeting tactical exercises and weapon firing on aerial and surface targets. In addition to IN Ships Kolkata and Shakti, Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I will also participate in the exercise along with Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Ships steadfast and valiant, maritime patrol aircraft F-50 and F-16 fighter aircraft.
MOUNTAINEERS HAS SUCCESSFULLY SCALED MT. EVEREST FOR RECORD 23RD TIME:
A renowned Nepali mountaineer, Kami Rita Sherpa has created history by successfully scaling the Mount Everest peak (8848m) for the 23rd time on May 14, 2019. He has already climbed most of the peaks above 8,000 m including K2, Cho-Oyu, Lhoste, and Annapurna among others. He is currently working as a senior guide at Seven Summit Treks.
PROJECT SPARROW:
The Union Ministry of Finance has launched Project Sparrow for online writing of Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) in SPARROW (Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window) for Group ‗B‘ and ‗C‘ Officers of Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC). This Project leverages modern technology for enhancing the overall efficiency and morale of the huge workforce working in Central GST and Customs formations of CBIC. The Project is an important milestone in the journey towards digitization and paper less working.
NEW PAKISTAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO INDIA:
Mueenul Haq, the current ambassador to France, has been appointed as the new Pakistan High Commissioner to India
RADAR IMAGING SATELLITE RISAT-2B:
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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its newest microwave earth observation satellite RISAT-2B from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota through its trusted workhorse PSLV-C46.
The 615-kg RISAT-2B meant for application in fields such as surveillance, agriculture, forestry and disaster management support. It will replace the RISAT-2, which was launched in 2009 Its X-band synthetic aperture radar can give added details such as size of objects on Earth, structures, movement and change. The information will data from the optical remote satellites
THE 8TH INDO-MYANMAR COORDINATED PATROL (IMCOR-2019):
The 8th edition of Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR-2019) has started at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Command on May 20. The CORPAT (coordinated patrol) initiative between Indian and Myanmar navies is meant to address issues of terrorism, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, poaching and other illegal activities inimical to interest of both nations.
PRIYANKA MOHITE, WHO HAS BECOME THE FIRST INDIAN WOMAN TO SUCCESSFULLY SCALE MOUNT MAKALU
Priyanka Mohite, the 26-year-old Satara based mountaineer, has become the first Indian woman to successfully scale Mount Makalu — the fifth-highest mountain in the world at 8,481 metres
Mt. MAKALU It is located in the Mahalangur Himalayas, 19 km south-east of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China. The first climb on Makalu was made by an American team led by Riley Keegan in 1954.
INDIAN DIPLOMAT WILL BE CONFERRED THE JAPAN'S SECOND HIGHEST NATIONAL AWARD- THE ORDER OF THE RISING SUN
Shyam Saran, an Indian career diplomat, will be conferred with Japan's second highest national award- The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold & Silver Star. He will be awarded in 2019 Spring Imperial Decorations for his contributions to strengthen the strategic ties and enhancing mutual understanding between India and Japan.
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INDIAN PEACEKEEPER WILL BE HONOURED POSTHUMOUSLY WITH 2019 UN DAG HAMMARSKJOLD MEDAL
Police Officer Jitender Kumar is among the 119 military, police and civilian personnel who will be honoured with a prestigious 2019 UN Dag Hammarskjold Medal for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty. Kumar made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)
SBI AND SRI SRI TATVAA PARTNERSHIP:
The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced a strategic partnership with the FMCG arm of The Art of Living —Sri Sri Tattva. Under this partnership, YONO users can avail a discount of 15% on the entire range of products offered by Sri Sri Tattva such as food, personal care, healthcare, homecare, BYOGI apparels and Shankara skincare products.
KIDSRIGHT INDEX:
India has been ranked 117th out of 181 countries in the 2019 KidsRight Index, which ranks countries on the basis of how much they are involved and equipped to improve child rights. Iceland made the top position with an overall score of 0.967, followed by Portugal. Released by Kids Right Foundation in cooperation with Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
RAILWAY TRACK ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement to provide long-term financing of $750 million equivalent in Indian rupees to fund the Railways track electrification project. It is the largest single non-sovereign loan ever committed by ADB to Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) to electrify railway tracks in India.
THE NEWSPACE INDIA LTD. (NSIL)
On May 23, the New Space India Ltd. (NSIL) has officially inaugurated in Bengaluru, Karnataka to scale up industry participation in Indian space programmes. It is the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
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NSIL will act as an aggregator for all space related activities in industry and develop private entrepreneurship in space related technologies.
INERTIAL GUIDED BOMB (IGB) FROM SUKHOI COMBAT JET
The Defense Research and Defense Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested a 500 kg class Inertial Guided Bomb (IGB) from Su-30 MKI Aircraft from the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. The guided bomb achieved the desired range and hit the target with high precision. The 2.5 tonne air-to-surface missile has a range of around 300 km, and it will significantly enhance the IAF‘s combat capability. The BrahMos cruise missile travels at a speed of Mach 2.8, nearly three times that of sound.
INDIA HAS BANNED TERROR OUTFIT JAMAAT-UL-MUJAHIDEEN BANGLADESH (JMB):
Bangladesh-based terror outfit — the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) banned by the Government of India (GOI) under the anti-terror law UAPA. The terror outfit is also called as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India / Hindustan. The Union Home Ministry stated that the outfit has committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and has been engaged in radicalization and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India. The JMB and all its manifestations have been inserted in the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) of 1967. The listing under the First Schedule of the UAPA means the outfit is now a banned organisation in India.
INDIAN DOCTOR HAS BEEN HONOURED WITH THE 'GLOBAL ASIAN OF THE YEAR 2018-19' AWARD AT THE ASIAN BUSINESS & SOCIAL FORUM 2019:
Dr. Hema Divakar, a Bengaluru-based medical doctor, has been honoured with the ‗Global Asian of the Year 2018-19‘ award in Dubai recently for her yeomen services and contributions to the women's healthcare ecosystem, in India.
UNSDG 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN HEALTHCARE AWARD:
Acharya Balkrishna, the Managing Director of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., has received the ‗UNSDG 10 Most Influential People in Healthcare Award‘ on behalf of Patanjali Group of Institutions in Geneva, Switzerland.
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Patanjali Ayurved produces a range of Ayurvedic medicinal and personal care products, among other consumer items. The company was co-founded by Baba Ramdev and Balkshrina.
NEW CHIEF MINISTER OF SIKKIM:
Prem Singh Tamang, the president of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and popularly known as P S Golay, has been sworn-in as the new chief minister of Sikkim. Governor Ganga Prasad administered the oath of office to Mr. Golay in a grand ceremony at the Palzor stadium in Gangtok. Longest serving CM of any state Pawan Kumar Chamling-led Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) lost after 25 years to Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in the state Assembly elections.
TENTATIVE LIST OF UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES:
The architectural heritage of Orchha town in Madhya Pradesh has been included in UNESCO‘s tentative list of world heritage sites following a proposal sent by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to the U.N. body. According to the rules, to be a part of UNESCO‘s World Heritage sites, the heritage or any historical site first has to be on the tentative list. Orchha town is situated on the banks of the Betwa River in Niwari district of MP‘s Bundelkhand region. The town was built by King Rudra Pratap Singh of Bundela dynasty in the 16th century. The ancient town is famous for its Chaturbhuj Temple, Orchha fort complex, Raja Mahal among others.
UN-HABITAT:
The first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly has started at the headquarters of UN-Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya on May 27, 2019. In it, India has been elected to the Executive Board of the UN-Habitat Assembly. The special theme for 2019 Assembly is ‗Innovation for a better quality of life in cities and communities' with the sub theme of ‗Accelerated Implementation of the New Urban Agenda towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals‘. During the first session, The Assembly is expected to review and approve the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and also review the Progress in implementation of New Urban Agenda, among other things.
UN MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN:
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The commandant of the Indian Army Infantry School, Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar has been appointed as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES (PREVENTION) TRIBUNAL:
The Union government has constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as an unlawful association. The Tribunal is comprised of sitting Judge of Delhi High Court Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal. Earlier, the Home Ministry had issued a notification extending ban on LTTE in India for a further period of five years.
WILAYAH OF HIND - MILLITANT PROVINCE CLAIMED BY ISIS IN INDIA:
Islamic State (IS) has claimed for the first time that it has established a ―province‖ in India, after a clash between militants and security forces in the Kashmir region killed a militant with alleged ties to the group. The new ‗province‘ is called ―Wilayah of Hind‖ by the militant group.
IMD WORLD COMPETITIVENESS RANKINGS:
India has been ranked 43rd most competitive economy in the 2019 edition of the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings on the back of its robust economic growth, a large labour force and its huge market size. Singapore topped the list, followed by Hongkong. The IMD World Competitiveness Rankings, established in 1989, incorporate 235 indicators from each of the 63 ranked economies.
HAWA AANE DE' TO SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT AIR POLLUTION:
To celebrate 2019 World Environment Day (WED), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recently launched the song 'Hawa Aane De' to spread awareness about Air pollution. The theme song is written by Swanand Kirkir.
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Every year, Union Environment Ministry celebrates WED focusing on the theme declared by UNEP and organizes several events. This year, the theme of Environment Day is ‗Air Pollution‘.
NEW CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF:
Admiral Karambir Singh has taken charge as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) from Adm. Sunil Lanba, who stepped down upon retirement. He is the first helicopter pilot of the Navy to become the CNS. During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 39 years, Adm. Singh has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. The tenure of a Service Chief is three years or 62 years of age, whichever is earlier.
LASER GUNS TO CRACK DOWN ON OVER-SPEEDING:
The Gujarat government has decided to equip the traffic police with ‗laser guns‘ for detection of over speeding by vehicles. The state traffic police has purchased 39 such high-tech guns at a cost of Rs.3.9 crore. The gun uses laser technology to detect the speed of a vehicle. It can record speed of three vehicles simultaneously in a second, even if the vehicles are a km away.
IIT HAS LAUNCHED INTEGRATED DATABASE ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS (IDIP):
The IIT-Madras has recently launched an Integrated Database on Infrastructure Projects (IDIP) at the 15th World Conference on Transport Research conference held at IIT Bombay. The purpose of the data platform is to enhance the efficiency of infrastructure development and enable effective decision-making among different stakeholders involved in the sector. Initial focus of IDIP will be on the road sector, which has received the highest private investment among all infrastructure sectors.
IIT- GUWAHATI- ISRO TIED UP WITH ISRO TO SET UP SPACE TECHNOLOGY:
The IIT- Guwahati has signed a MoU with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up a Space Technology Cell (STC) within the premise of IIT Guwahati. The new IITG-ISRO STC would be first-of-its-kind in the North-east region to augment research and capacity building processes in the field of space-technology
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Through the STC, IIT Guwahati aspire to partner with ISRO for performing cutting edge research not only catering to the socio-economic needs of the Northeast but also to contribute towards the basic research activities of various ISRO projects across India.
ISRO HAS SIGNED PACT WITH WHICH INDIAN ARMED FORCE FOR ASTRONAUT TRAINING:
The Rs 10,000-crore Gaganyaan is planned for 2022, the 75th year of Indian independence. Gaganyaan (Sky Craft) is an Indian crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the basis of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have recently signed a MoU for getting Indian astronauts trained for ISRO‘s Gaganyaan mission. The development formally involves IAF‘s Bangalore based medical arm, the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), in the programme as the nodal centre to train the first set of Indian astronauts.
KUDAKRUMIA RANGNEKARI:
Indians Scientists has recently identified a new species of primate wasp from the genus Kudakrumia in Goa. The new species was collected in the forests of Western Ghats. The wasp, which is dubbed as Kudakrumia rangnekari, was named after Goa-based researcher Arag Rangnekar.
TELENGANA TO HAVE 1ST BLOCKCHAIN DISTRICT:
Land at subsidised rates, funding of research and regulatory and policy support are among the features of Telangana government's draft Blockchain Policy. It is aimed at wooing firms and startups in the field to set up shop in the state.
LIQUID HYDROGEN STORAGE TANK LAUNCHED:
ISRO Chairman K Sivan flagged off the shipment of India's largest liquid hydrogen storage tank at the VRV Asia Pacific's manufacturing plant at Sri City in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. VRV Asia Pacific manufactured the storage tank with a Liquid Nitrogen shield, in a collaborative effort with Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
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Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel for satellite launch vehicles.
17TH LOK SABHA TO WITNESS 78 WOMAN MP‘s:
Seventy-eight seats have been won by women candidates in the 17th Lok Sabha elections, the highest since the first Lok Sabha in 1952. Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are sending the highest number of women to the house, 11 each.
NOIDA TO BECOME ZERO DISCHARGE CITY:
Noida is all set to outdo Nagpur by recycling 100 percent of the sewage water generated in the city.
THRISSUR ‗POORAM‘ FESTIVITIES: An unprecedented crowd gathered to witness Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran of 36-hour-long Pooram celebrations at Thekkinkadu maidan on 12 May 2019. The elephant Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran, fondly called as ‗Raman‘, opened the Thekke Gopura Nada of Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple. The Vilambaram ritual declares the pooram celebrations open.
NDDB DEVELOPED 1ST GENOME ASSEMBLY OF BUFFALO:
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has developed the world's first complete parent- wise genome assembly of buffalo. Named as 'NDDB ABRO Murrah', the genome assembly of riverine buffaloes would provide more insights about buffalo genome. The estimated population of buffaloes in the world is 224.4 million, of which 219 million (97.58%) are in Asia.
INDIA'S FIRST MEGA SCIENCE EXHIBITION:
India‘s first ‗mega-science‘ exhibition ‗Vigyan Samagam‘ was inauguratedin Mumbai. It is organised by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM).
ALL EVS TO USE GREEN NUMBER PLATES:
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The Central government has made mandatory for all Electric Vehicles (EVs) to use the green number plates. All EVs should use green number plates wherein the private electric vehicles will get white lettering on a green background and commercial EVs will get yellow lettering. The aim is to help distinguish green vehicles to provide easy identification for preferential treatment.
FANI CYCLONIC STORM:
Cyclone FANI was crossed Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali around Puri during forenoon of 3rd May. The cyclone constitutes maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph and continued landfal. Extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm) has been forecasted in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam & Meghalaya.
PEMA KHANDU WILL BE SWORN-IN AS THE CHIEF MINISTER OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Pema Khandu will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh on 29 May 2019 for the second time. After having a landslide victory in the Assembly elections with 41 seats in the 60-seat house, the BJP held it's Legislature Party Meeting in Itanagar on 27 May 2019.
UNIVERSAL DEBT RELIEF SCHEME ON CARDS: India has begun work on a universal debt relief scheme for small borrowers aimed at micro enterprises, small farmers and artisans. below a specified income and asset threshold will be eligible for debt relief. People with annual income of Rs 60,000 or less, outstanding loans of Rs 35,000 or less, and assets worth Rs 20,000 or less may be eligible.
NEW GOVT'S FIRST DEFENCE BUY TO BE NUH:
The Rs 21,738-crore procurement of 111 light Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) for the Navy is on track to be the first big procurement of the new (NDA) government. At least three international original equipment manufacturers submitted proposals to build their helicopters through an Indian industry designated as strategic partner (SP).
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BRAHMOS MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRED:
A BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile was successfully test-fired by a Unit of Eastern Command, Indian Army from Car Nicobar Islands as part of joint training by 3 defence forces. The Combat missile was test fired on a specially designed target chosen at a range of 270 km. It validated deep penetration capability by the supersonic cruise missile and accurate engagement of targets in depth.
AN-32 CERTIFIED TO OPERATE ON BIO-JET FUEL:
IAF‘s AN-32 aircraft was formally fleet certified to fly on blended aviation fuel containing up to 10% of indigenous bio-jet fuel. The approval certificate was received at the aero-engine test facilities at Chandigarh by Air Commodore Sanjiv Ghuratia. This will promote the ‗Make in India‘ mission as this bio-fuel would be produced from Tree Borne Oils sourced from tribal areas and farmers.
FIRST INDIGENOUS MICROPROCESSOR AJIT :
Engineers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have developed a microprocessor called AJIT. It is the first to be conceptualised, designed, developed and manufactured in India.
MICROSOFT LAUNCHES 'ELECTIONGUARD': In a bid to help countries ensure secure and verifiable voting, Microsoft announced 'ElectionGuard', a free open-source Software Development Kit (SDK). ElectionGuard is verifiable, allowing voters and third-party organisations to verify election results. It is also secure, auditable and open source -- free and flexible with the ability to be used with off-the-shelf hardware.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS:
FOUR ALLIES TO HOLD FOURTH QUADRILATERAL MEET:
India, US, Japan, and Australia are set to meet for the fourth time and with the latest quadrilateral meet set to occur in Bangkok.
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India has said the quadrilateral meeting is a consultative process, not a military alliance. The issues for discussion during the last meeting were on expected lines centered on the Indo- Pacific. It means free passage for ships and a free and open Indo-Pacific.
UN EXTENDS SANCTIONS AGAINST SOUTH SUDAN:
The UN Security Council has extended an arms embargo and sanctions on South Sudan for a year, despite resistance from African countries, Russia and China.
NEW BULLET TRAIN MODEL HIT RECORD SPEED:
A new model of bullet train set to enter service ahead of the Tokyo Olympics hit a record speed of 360 kilometers (224 miles) per hour in a test run. The N700s is the first new model of bullet train on Japan‘s busiest line for almost a decade The train is lighter and uses less energy than current designs, as well as boasts additional safety features in case of earthquakes.
NEW ZEALAND PM'S GIANT MURAL UNVEILED:
A giant mural depicting New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern embracing a Muslim woman in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack has been unveiled in Australia. The mural is 25 meters tall or just over 80 feet and shows the two figures towering across a silo in the suburb of Melbourne's Brunswick.
WHO UNVEILED PLAN TO TACKLE GLOBAL SNAKE BITE:
WHO unveiled a new strategy to dramatically cut deaths and injuries from snake bites. Each year, nearly three million people are bitten by poisonous snakes, with an estimated 81,000- 138,000 deaths. Another 400,000 survivors suffer permanent disabilities and other after effects, according to WHO figures. WHO categorised snakebite envenoming as a Neglected Tropical Disease 2 years ago.
PAKISTAN SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRED SHAHEEN-II:
Pakistan successfully test-fired surface-to-surface ballistic missile Shaheen-II. It is capable of hitting targets as far as 1,500 kilometers away, bringing major Indian cities under its range.
CHINA DELIVERED FIGHTER JET TO PAKISTAN:
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China has delivered the first overhauled multi-role JF-17 fighter jet to Islamabad. This is a part of a project undertaken by the two countries over a decade ago for the development and manufacture of the aircraft. China and Pakistan had begun joint development and manufacture of the single-engine light JF- 17 jets over a decade ago.
KILOGRAM TO BE REDEFINED:
The kilogram will be redefined by a fundamental property of nature known as Planck's constant. 130 years, this golf-ball-sized hunk of 90% platinum and 10% iridium has served as the international prototype kilogram. The microscopic contaminants in the air caused Le Grand K to grow a bit heavier, thus the kilogram itself grew a bit heavier.
FACEBOOK REGISTERED NEW CRYPTOCURRENCY FIRM :
Facebook Global Holdings registered a new crypto currency firm named ‗Libra Networks LLC‘ in Geneva, Switzerland. It will provide financial and technology services by developing related hardware and software components. Facebook has been very secretive about its new crypto currency project. Facebook has hired 2 crypto currency compliance experts who formerly worked at Coin base.
SRI LANKA MARKED10 YEARS TO THE CIVIL WAR :
Sri Lanka marked 10 years since the end of a decades-long civil war that left more than 100,000 people dead. The United Nations has urged Sri Lanka to investigate alleged war crimes committed by both sides.
INDIA SIGNS CHRISTCHURCH CALL
India signed 'Christchurch Call To Action', an international call initiated by the governments of France and New Zealand along with top social media companies after the Christchurch attacks. The document was signed by 26 countries.
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the social media companies and IT enterprises were: Microsoft, Qwant, Daily Motion, Google, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Amazon.
SRI LANKA CELEBRATES VESAK FESTIVAL:
In Sri Lanka, the Vesak festival is being observed with religious fervour amid tight security in the wake of Easter attacks. The day is celebrated to mark the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha. In view of security restrictions, the number of food camps during Vesak is limited to 92 compared to around 6,000 last year.
GREEN CARDS REPLACED WITH 'BUILD AMERICA' VISA:
Donald Trump has said he will replace the existing green cards with 'Build America' visa. US President unveiled a new merit and points-based immigration policy that seeks to increase the quota for highly-skilled workers.
FULLY RECYCLABLE PLASTIC CREATED:
The scientists have created a next-generation plastic that can be fully recycled into new materials of any colour, shape, or form, without loss of performance or quality. A team of researchers at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has designed it. All plastics are made up of large molecules called polymers, which are composed of monomers.
GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY STRATEGY UNVEILED:
The US unveiled the 'Global Health Security Strategy' The strategy is a first of its kind strategy to prevent, detect and respond to threats from infectious diseases occurring naturally or accidentally. The new Strategy, it will work to ensure that every partner country has a plan to achieve self- reliance in the critical area of health security.
FIRST VACCINE FOR DENGUE FEVER APPROVED:
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine against dengue fever. The agency ruled that ―Dengvaxia‖, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, can only be used in individuals aged 9 to 16 living in parts of the United States where the dengue virus is endemic. The vaccine can only be given to children and teens who have had one previous laboratory- confirmed case of dengue.
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IRELAND DECLARES CLIMATE EMERGENCY:
Ireland has become only the second country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. The United Kingdom became the first country to declare the emergency on 1 May 2019.
FASTEST BULLET TRAIN STARTS TEST RUN:
Japan is testing the fastest-ever shinkansen bullet train, capable of speeds of as much as 400 kilometers (249 miles) per hour. Called the Alfa-X, the train is scheduled to go into service in 2030. Rail company JR East plans to operate it at 360 kilometers per hour. That would make it 10 kph faster than China‘s Fuxing Hao, which links Beijing and Shanghai and has the same top speed.
THE BELT AND ROAD FORUM (BRF - 2019):
In China, the 2nd edition of Belt and Road Forum (BRF - 2019) was officially held in Beijing with theme ―Belt and Road Cooperation: Shaping a Brighter Shared Future‖. In it, 37 heads-of-state and 159 countries had participated along with United Nations Secretary- General Antonio Guterres and International Monetary Chief (IMF) Christine Lagarde. The initiative offers to bring much-needed modern infrastructure to developing countries, but critics say it mainly favours Chinese companies. The idea of BRI was first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.
45-DAY ‗MT EVEREST CLEANING CAMPAIGN‘:
The Government of Nepal has launched an ambitious 45-day ‗Everest Cleaning Campaign‘ to bring back tonnes of trash from Mt. Everest from 14th April 2019. The campaign is led by Solukhumbu district‘s Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality and aims to collect nearly 10,000 kgs of garbage from Mt. Everest. The campaign concludes on May 29, the day marked every year to commemorate the first summit of Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. The collected waste will then be showcased in Namche town, before being ferried down to Kathmandu, where it will once again be showcased on World Environment Day (WED-2019) on June 5. After that, it will finally be sent out for recycling.
UNITED STATES IS THE BIGGEST SPENDER ON MILITARY EXPENDITURE IN 2018:
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According to latest data released by global think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the total world military expenditure rose by 2.6% to $1,822 billion in 2018. United States is the biggest spender on military expenditure China ($250 billion) has acquired 2nd position followed by Saudi Arabia ($67.6 billion), India ($66.5 billion) and France ($63.8 billion). The study found that the United States increased its military expenditure for the first time since 2010.
ISRAEL HAS RECENTLY HONOURED 1971 WAR HERO LT. GEN. (RETD) JACK FARJ RAFAEL :
Israel has recently honoured 1971 war hero Lt. Gen. (retd) Jack Farj Rafael (JFR) Jacob with a plaque on Ammunition Hill Wall of Honour in Jerusalem. He negotiated the historic surrender of Pakistani troops in Dhaka after the 1971 Bangladesh's liberation war. Was one of the most prominent members of India's relatively small Jewish community, and also served as a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army.
OPERATION SWIFT RETORT:
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has decided to observe its retaliatory action on February 27 against the Indian air strikes on the Balakot terror camp as 'Operation Swift Retort'
JEM CHIEF MASOOD AZHAR HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS GLOBAL TERRORIST:
In a major diplomatic victory for India, Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar was listed as a designated terrorist by the UN Security Council 1267 Committee on 1st May 2019 after China lifted its block on the move. Significantly, the reasons for listing did not mention the Pulwama attack of February 14, for which the JeM had claimed responsibility. The reasons for designating Azhar as a terrorist as per latest listing included his support for the JeM since its founding, being associated with the Al- Qaeda. It also pointed to his role in recruiting fighters in Afghanistan. JeM group also responisble for Uri attack. A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. An assets freeze under the sanctions committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets oreconomic resources of designated individuals and entities.
CLIMATE EMERGENCY:
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The United Kingdom Parliament has become the first national legislative body in the world to pass national declaration (or motion) of an Environment and climate emergency. Thus, the symbolic move recognizes the urgency needed to combat the climate crisis. The move will increase pressure on the government and is demanding that the country takes action to help avoid more than 1.5 degrees centigrade of warming, requiring global emissions to be cut by almost half of 2010 levels by 2030.
NATO‘S SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER IN EUROPE (SACEUR):
US Air Force General Tod Wolters has been sworn-in as the top military officer of the 29- nation NATO military alliance. He became Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR) at a ceremony on Friday at NATO‘s military headquarters in Mons, southern Belgium. Wolters succeeded General Curtis M. Scaparrotti. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries.
GIANT ASTEROID 99942 APOPHIS IS EXPECTED TO FLY CLOSE TO EARTH IN A DECADE:
According to the latest data from US space agency NASA, the giant asteroid named 99942 Apophis is expected to approach dangerously close to the Earth on April 13, 2029
G-7 SUMMIT:
India is officially invited to Group of 7 (G-7) industrialized nations summit along with Australia, Chile and South Africa. The summit is scheduled to be held in Biarritz, France in August 24-25, 2019. France to chair the G7 Summit. The G-7 groups together the US, Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Japan and Germany. This is not first time that India will be present at this exclusive club.
INTER GOVERNMENTAL FORUM OF ARCTIC COUNCIL :
On 7th May 2019, India has been re-elected as an observer to inter-governmental forum of Arctic Council at the 11th Arctic Council ministerial meeting at Rovaniemi, Finland. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, an Indian institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has set up a research station, 'Himadri', in Svalbard, Norway that works on the mass balance of glaciers, the effect of the warming on the marine system, the formation of clouds and precipitation, and the effect on biodiversity.
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Arctic Council promotes cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states. It consists of 8 members‘ countries: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US.
MOMO-3' REACHED OUTER SPACE:
A Japanese aerospace startup Interstellar Technology Inc. has become the first private firm in Japan to launch a rocket into space. It has successfully launched a small rocket ‗Momo-3‘ from its test site in Hokkaido, which reached about 110 kilometers (68 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean after 10 minutes of flight time. The Interstellar Technology, founded in 2013 by former Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie, aims to develop low-cost commercial rockets to carry satellites into space.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL SCIENCE-POLICY PLATFORM ON BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES:
The UN report titled ―IPBES Global Assessment‖ has been released by IPBES (Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). It is compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries. The IPBES report found that around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction. The headquarters of IBPES is located in Bonn, Germany.
WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANISATION (WCO) REGIONAL CUSTOM HEADS MEETING:
The meeting of the Regional Heads of Customs Administration of Asia Pacific Region of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) is being organized by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in Kochi from 08th to 10th May, 2019 India is hosting this meeting in its capacity as Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific region that it assumed on 1st July, 2018 for a 2 year period.
JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION (JCPOA) :
Iran has recently announced to stop respecting limits lon its nuclear activities agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers until they find a way to bypass renewed US sanctions. US withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal at May 2018
JCPOA:
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The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) detailed agreement with five annexes reached by Iran and the P5+1 (China France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) on July 14, 2015. Iran‘s compliance with the nuclear-related provisions of the JCPOA will be verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) according to certain requirements set forth in the agreement.
ADMM-PLUS MARITIME EXERCISE:
The 18 nations ADMM-Plus (Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus) multilateral maritime security field exercise has recently concluded in Singapore on May 13. The exercise was jointly organised by Singapore and South Korea, The ADMM-Plus consistes of 10 ASEAN countries along with Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. This is the 4th such exercise conducted under ADMM - Plus.
CONFERENCE ON DIALOGUE OF ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS:
China is hosting Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in close collaboration with UNESCO in its capital city Beijing from 15 to 22 May, 2019. The conference will focus on themes of the exchange and mutual learning of Asia civilizations, and a community of shared future. During the event, an opening ceremony and six parallel sessions will be held. Other activities include an Asia cultural carnival, Asian civilization week, and an Asian food festival.
CHINA HAS RECENTLY BLOCKED ALL LANGUAGE EDITIONS OF WIKIPEDIA:
China has expanded its ban on Wikipedia to block the community-edited online encyclopedia in all available languages. Hence, Wikipedia had joined thousands of other websites which cannot be accessed in China. China started blocking all language editions of Wikipedia from April 2019.
COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS:
A comprehensive survey on plastic pollution has been conducted by marine scientists on the Australian external territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Around 600 people live in these remote places, which are sometimes described as ―Australia's last unspoilt paradise‖.
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On May 17, Taiwan has become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage with the passage of legislation giving gay couples the right to marry. The vote allows same-sex couples full legal marriage rights, including in areas such as taxes, insurance, and child custody. Taiwan is a self-governing democracy with a vibrant civil society.
PERMANENT RESIDENCY SYSTEM ―GOLDEN CARD":
The Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates (UAE),Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al- Maktoum has launched the permanent residency system ―Golden Card‖ for expats investors, entrepreneurs, specialized talents and researchers to be a part of the UAE‘s success story. The move is expected to attract more Indian professionals and businessmen to the Gulf nation.
ARTEMIS' 2024 MOON MISSION:
NASA has recently unveiled the calendar for the ―Artemis‖ program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in half a century. It will also include 8 scheduled launches and a mini-station in lunar orbit by 2024. The original lunar missions were named for Apollo –Artemis was his twin sister in Greek mythology, and the goddess of hunting, wilderness and the Moon. ARTEMIS‘ stands for ‗Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun‘.
CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO:
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has officially passed a resolution demanding the United Kingdom withdraw its administration of the Chagos Islands. The resolution welcomed the February 25, 2019 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965. The islands have since been used for defence purposes by the UK and the United States, which established a military base on the island of Diego Garcia.
THE 2019 SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO) COUNCIL OF FOREIGN MINISTERS:
On May 21, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended a two-day meeting of the 2019 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She said that India is open to strengthen the Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS) of SCO to fight terrorism and security challenges in the region.
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THE SCO :
Was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Along with India, Pakistan was also granted the SCO membership in 2017.
2019 SCO MASS MEDIA FORUM AT BISHKEK:
The 2nd edition of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Mass Media Forum was held at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 23-26 May, 2019. A delegation from I & B Ministry represented India at the Forum. The Forum was inaugurated by the President of Kyrgyz Republic Mr. S. Jeenbeko. The Forum aims to strengthen the exchange and cooperation in the field of mass media amongst SCO countries in line with Shanghai Spirit.
NAVAL DRILL EXERCISE ‗PACIFIC VANGUARD:
The naval drill exercise ‗Pacific Vanguard‘ has been kick started by the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia near Guam, United States. The drills will focus on live fire exercises, defensive counter-air operations, anti-submarine warfare, and replenishment at sea.
US CURRENCY WATCHLIST: The Trump administration has recently removed India and Switzerland from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners. The watch list contains the names of countries that have potentially questionable foreign exchange policies and are suspected to be manipulating their currencies to gain trade advantages over the US. However, the list includes China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Singapore, and Vietnam among others.
US UNIVERSITY HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW PROSTHETIC FOOT TO HELP TACKLE TOUGH TERRAIN:
The scientists at the Stanford University in the US have developed a more stable prosthetic foot which they say could make challenging terrain more manageable for people who have lost a lower leg.
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The new design has a kind of tripod foot that responds to rough terrain by actively shifting pressure between three different contact points.
WORLD'S LARGEST NUCLEAR-POWERED ICEBREAKER ‗URAL':
Russia has recently launched the third and final Project 22220 LK-60Ya-class nuclear- powered icebreaker – the Ural - at the Baltic Shipyard in St Petersburg to open up Arctic shipping routes. The Ural will eventually be handed over to Russia‘s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom in 2022 after the two other icebreakers in the same series - Arktika (Arctic) and Sibir (Siberia) - enter service. per estimated of U.S. Geological Survey, the Arctic holds oil and gas reserves equivalent to 412 billion barrels of oil, about 22% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas.
SPACE X SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED CARGO MISSION:
SpaceX successfully launched a Dragon spacecraft on a cargo mission for NASA to International Space Station (ISS). This is SpaceX's fifth launch of the year. It was launched on a 'Falcon 9' rocket, from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It is being used for the first time.
NEW APPOINTMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL:
1. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been crowned as the Rama X of Thailand in a dazzling show of pageantry on behalf of the Thai people. 2. Boubou Cisse is the newly appointed Prime Minister of Mali. 3. Laurentino Cortizo has been declared the winner of 2019 presidential election of Panama. 4. South African lawmakers have re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa as the president of the country. 5. Volodymyr Zelensky has been sworn-in as the new President of Ukraine. 6. Muhammadu Buhari has been sworn-in for his second term as President of Nigeria in a ceremony at the Eagle Square in Abuja. 7. James Marape has been sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.
ECONOMY NEWS:
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GOLDMAN SACHS INVESTS $250 MN IN INDIA:
New York-based investment and financial services major Goldman Sachs has pumped in $250 million to construct one of its largest global workspaces in Bengaluru.
SEBI AND IRDAI SET UP REGULATORY SANDBOX:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) set up Regulatory Sandbox (RS) for fintech innovations. RS is an infrastructure that helps fintech players live test their products or solutions, getting the necessary regulatory approvals for a mass launch.
CORPORATION BANK LAUNCHES ‗CORP SME SUVIDHA‘:
Corporation Bank has launched ‗Corp SME Suvidha‘, a product for GST registered MSMEs. The product has been designed as part of the bank's efforts to provide best products to MSME sector. PV Bharathi is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank.
INDIA ALLOWED REFURBISHED MOBILE EXPORTS:
India allowed the import of refurbished mobile phones or second mobile phones only if they are certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Earlier, the Government of India didn‘t give its assent to refurbished mobile imports with the fear of dumping and negative effect to Make In India initiative.
RELIANCE INDUSTRIES: BIGGEST COMPANY BY REVENUE:
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has become the country‘s biggest company by revenue. Reliance, in the 2018-19 fiscal year that ended on March 31, reported a turnover of Rs.6.23 lakh crore.
TRIPURA GRAMIN BANK UNDER TOP 3 RURAL BANKS:
Tripura Gramin Bank received India‘s top three Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) in terms of profit, business, and growth. India has 46 Regional Rural Bank out of which Tripura Gramin Bank ranked 3rd in the country.
INSURANCE COVER TO LOCAL TRAIN PASSENGERS:
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Bajaj Finserv launched a specialised insurance cover for passengers travelling in local trains in Mumbai. The travellers will get an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh against a payment of Rs 399 per annum. The 'Mumbai Local Train Cover' insurance policy was introduced through lending arm Bajaj Finance and will provide coverage in case of a mishap during a train journey.
RBI MANDATED CHIEF RISK OFFICERS FOR NBFCS:
The RBI has mandated all the Non-Banking Financial Company's (NBFC) with a size of over Rs.5000 crore to appoint Chief Risk Officers (CROs). RBI‘s move comes in the wake of ongoing rating downgrades of nonbanks which has raised fears of liquidity crisis.
RBI RELEASED 'VISION 2021':
The RBI released a vision document for ensuring a safe, secure, convenient, quick and affordable e-payment system. It expects the number of digital transactions to increase more than four times to 8,707 crore in December 2021. The 'Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 - 2021', has its core theme of 'Empowering Exceptional e-Payment Experience'.
EXPORTS TO MALDIVES EXEMPTED FROM RESTRICTION:
Exports of specified quantity of essential commodities to Maldives have been exempted from any kind of domestic restrictions or prohibition in the current fiscal. Export of potatoes, onion, rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal and eggs has been permitted to Maldives under bilateral trade agreement between India and Maldives during the period 2019-20 with effect from April.
MASTERCARD TO INVEST $ 1 BN TO DEVELOP INDIA:
Mastercard will invest $1 billion in India over the next five years, with plans to make the country a global technology node for its platforms. The company has already invested $1 billion in the Indian market in the last five years.
RBI RAISED CAPS ON HOME LOANS BY SFBS:
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The RBI has increased the eligibility cap on home loans extended by regional rural banks and small finance banks to ₹35 lakh in metropolitan areas and 25 lakh in other centers. All such loans will be now classified by these banks as priority sector loans. In addition, the existing family income limit of Rs.2 lakh per annum is revised to Rs.3 lakh per annum for EWS and Rs.6 lakh per annum for LIG.
PAYPAL LAUNCHES ONE TOUCH FOR SEAMLESS TRANS:
PayPal India used Google Smart Lock and launched its One Touch experience in India. One Touch feature permits Indian consumers to register their android device with PayPal and stay logged into PayPal for further PayPal purchases on that device. India becomes the first market where the feature of Google Smart Lock has been integrated.
LONDON TOP CHOICE FOR INDIAN INVESTORS:
London emerged as the top choice for Indian investors ahead of other cities such as Dubai and Singapore. The investments by Indian companies in the British capital reached an all time high in 2018. The UK emerged as the top most country to attract Indian FDI with 52 projects, ahead of the US (51) and the UAE (32) in 2018.
GST REV COLLECTION FOR APRIL 2019:
The total gross GST revenue collected in the month of April 2019 is Rs 1,13,865 crore of which CGST is Rs 21,163 crore. The total number of GSTR 3B Returns filed for the month of March up to 30th April 2019 is 72.13 lakh. This is the 21th consecutive month that the manufacturing PMI remained above the 50-point mark. Highest ever GST collection per month from its launch of July 2017.
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE ECONOMIC CAPITAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE RBI:
2T The Six-member expert committee led by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan was appointed on December 26, 2018 to review the Economic Capital Framework (ECF) for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It is in news recently because the Jalan panel is likely to submit its report by June 2019.
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The report is also expected to detail the amount the central bank should transfer to the government. The terms of reference of the committee would be to review status, need and justification of various provisions, reserves and buffers presently provided for by the RBI.
NANDHAN NEELKENI COMMITTEE:
A Reserve Bank-appointed committee headed by Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani submitted its suggestions on promoting digital payments to Governor Shaktikanta Das. In January, a five-member panel was set up by RBI on deepening digital payments. The RBI will examine the recommendations of the committee and will dovetail the action points, in its Payment Systems Vision 2021 for implementation.
RBI COMMITTEE TO REVIEW MORTGAGE SECURITISATION:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a 6-member committee to review the existing state of mortgage securitization in India and suggest measures to deepen it. The committee on the development of housing finance securitization market, headed by Bain & Co Senior Advisor Harsh Vardhan.
RBI COMMITTEE FOR SECONDARY MARKET IN CORPORATE LOANS:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a six member task force, headed by Canara Bank chairman T.N. Manoharan, on the development of secondary market for corporate loans. The terms of reference of the task force would include review of the existing state of the market for loan sale or transfer in India as well as the international experience in loan trading. The task force has been asked to submit its report by the end of August 2019.
INDIAN COMPANY HAS ACQUIRED FILIPINO PERSONAL CARE FIRM ‗SPLASH‘:
Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting (WCCL) has acquired the Philippines-based personal care maker Splash Corporation for an undisclosed amount to enter the country which has a consumer base of around 100 million.
FIRST INDIAN BANK TO LINK INTEREST RATES TO RBI'S REPO RATE:
The State Bank of India (SBI) has become the first bank in the country to link its saving and loan interest rates to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s repo rate. The move assumes significance as the effective interest rate from May 1 on savings deposit above Rs 1 lakh will come down to 3.25% from 3.5%. Though, the linking of short-term loans
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like overdraft and cash credit facility with limit of above Rs 1 lakh will now attract an interest rate close to 8.25% This will help in better transmission of RBI's policy rates into the banking system.
DAYS & EVENTS:
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY: 1 MAY
International Labour Day, also known as International Worker's Day or May Day is celebrated every year on 1 May. The theme of Labour Day 2019 is - Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement. In India, the first Labour Day or May Day was celebrated in 1923 in Chennai.
WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY:
The World Press Freedom Day is observed every year on 3rd May as an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, assess the state of press freedom throughout the world. The 2019 theme ―Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation‖, discusses current challenges faced by media in elections and its potential in supporting peace and reconciliation processes. The 26th celebration of World Press Freedom Day (WPED-2019) is jointly organized by UNESCO, African Union Commission and the Government of Ethiopia. The main event is being held at the African Union Headquarters at Addis Ababa.
WORLD TUNA DAY- MAY 2:
The World Tuna Day is observed every year on May 2 to highlight the importance of sustainably managed fish stocks in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS‘ DAY -MAY 4
The International Firefighters‘ Day (IFFD) is observed every year on May 4 to recognize and honour the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that our communities and environment are as safe as possible. It was instituted after a proposal was emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999.
WORLD ASTHMA DAY - FIRST TUESDAY OF MAY:
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The World Asthma Day (WAD) is celebrated every year on first Tuesday of May to increase awareness about asthma and aims to improve the lives of people with asthma across the world. The 2019 WAD is observed on 7th of May with theme ‗Stop for Asthma‘.
WORLD RED CROSS DAY- MAY 8
The World Red Cross Day (WRCD) is observed every year on May 8 to recognize the extraordinary contribution and incredible achievements of the stalwarts and volunteers around the world for helping the people in need anytime, anywhere. The 2019 theme is ―#love‖ or simply ―love‖. This date is the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, who was born on 8 May 1828. He was the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross.
WORLD THALASSAEMIA DAY:
The World Thalasseamia Day is observed every year on May 8 to raise awareness about this ailment among people all over the world. The 2019 theme is ―Universal access to quality thalassaemia healthcare services: Building bridges with and for patients‖. Thalaseemia is a chronic blood disorder. It is a genetic disorder due to which a patient cannot make enough hemoglobin found in Red Blood Cells.
2019 EDITION OF UN GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK:
The 5th edition of United Nations (UN) Global Road Safety Week has started from 6th May with theme ―leadership for road safety‖. The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes road safety as a means to reduce traffic-related injuries. UN Global Road Safety Weeks and its‘ campaigns are chaired by WHO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It launched action through the ongoing campaign: Save Lives - #Speak Up.
NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY -MAY 11:
The National Technology Day is celebrated every year in India on May 11. On this day in 1998, India successfully tested its nuclear bombs in Pokhran, Rajasthan. Called Operation SHAKTHI.
WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY: 11 MAY:
World Migratory Bird Day is observed every year on 11 May.
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The theme for this year's World Migratory Bird Day is ‗Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.‘
INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY - MAY 12:
The International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on 12 May to highlight the importance of nurses‘ role in providing the best healthcare services. The day also observes the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, who was also known as ‗The Lady with the Lamp‘. The theme for 2019 is – "Nurses a Voice to Lead – Health for All".
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES: 15 MAY:
The International Day of Families (IDF) is observed on the 15th of May every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993. The theme for IDF 2019 is 'Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13'.
NATIONAL DENGUE DAY: 16 MAY
National Dengue Day is observed every year of 16 May. It aims to spread awareness about dengue and to increase preventive measures as well as find out ways to prevent and control the disease across the country. A viral disease caused by the dengue virus, it is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito (Aedes aegypti) bite infected with any one of the four dengue viruses
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY: The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is observed across the globe every year on May 17. The 2019 theme is ‗Bridging the standardization gap‘. The first International Telegraph Convention (ITC) and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
WORLD METROLOGY DAY: MAY 20
World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May. The theme for World Metrology Day 2019 is The International System of Units - Fundamentally better.
WORLD AIDS VACCINE DAY IS OBSERVED: MAY 18:
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The World AIDS Vaccine Day is observed every year on 18th May to spread awareness about the urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. The day is also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It is also a day to thank volunteers, researchers, scientists, community member, health professionals and everyone else who is working to eradicate the disease.
BIODIVERSITY DAY: 22 MAY:
The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is observed on May 22 every year. The theme for 2019 is 2019 - Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health. It is a United Nations-sanctioned international day to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF UN PEACEKEEPERS, 29 MAY:
The first UN peacekeeping mission was established on 29th May 1948. The objective is to pay tribute to the invaluable contribution by the uniformed and civilian personnel and to honour more than 3,800 peacekeepers who have lost their lives while rendering peacekeeping services. The theme of 2019 is ―Protecting Civilians, Protecting Peace‖.
NATIONAL ANTI TERRORISM DAY- MAY 21:
The National Anti-Terrorism Day is celebrated every year in India on May 21 to generate awareness in the country among all sections of people, about the danger of terrorism and violence and its effect on the people, society and the country as a whole. It was on this day in 1991, the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated while attending a rally in Tamil Nadu. The aim behind the observance of Anti Terrorism Day is to wean away the people from terrorism and violence.
WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY- 31ST MAY:
The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is on "tobacco and lung health." The campaign will increase awareness on the negative impact that tobacco has on people‘s lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease, the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people. Campaign also serves as advocating for a effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
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WORLD DAY FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR DIALOGUE AND DEVELOPMENT:
The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is observed every year on May 21. The day was created as a result of the destruction of the Buddha statues of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001.
WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY-
The World Hypertension Day is observed every year on May 17 to spread awareness about the disease that the World Health Organisation (WHO) calls a ―silent killer‖ and ―global public health issue‖ The 2019 theme is "Know your numbers".
WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY- 31ST MAY:
The focus of World No Tobacco Day 2019 is on "tobacco and lung health." The campaign will increase awareness on the negative impact that tobacco has on people‘s lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease, the fundamental role lungs play for the health and well-being of all people. The campaign also serves as advocating for a effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
OTHER DAYS AND EVENTS:
1. International Commonwealth Day was observed in Commonwealth countries on 24 May. 2. World turtle day is observed on 23rd May. 3. The International Day of Living Together in Peace was observed on 16 May. 4. Coal Miners Day is observed every year on 4 May to highlight the conditions of coal miners as it is the toughest profession known.
SPORTS NEWS:
FIRST INDIAN WRESTLER TO FIGHT AT THE ICONIC MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN NEW YORK:
Bajrang Punia is set to become the first Indian wrestler to fight at iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. Punia, who won the 65kg men‘s freestyle gold at the recent 2019 Asian championships,
CRICKETERS HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR 2019 ARJUNA AWARD:
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The BCCI recommended Indian pacers Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and women‘s team spinner Poonam Yadav for the 2019 Arjuna award.
2019 FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR BY THE FOOTBALL WRITERS‘ ASSOCIATION:
Raheem Sterling, the Manchester City and England forward, has been named the 2019 footballer of the year by the Football Writers‘ Association (FWA).
CLAIRE POLOSAK, WHO BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE UMPIRE TO STAND IN A MEN'S ODI:
Claire Polosak from Australia created history by becoming the first female umpire to stand in a men's One-Day International (ODI). she has officiated the final of the World Cricket League Division 2, between Oman and Namibia, who both secured ODI status after finishing in the top two positions of the table. In all, Polosak has officiated 15 women‘s ODIs,
BARCELONA FC HAS CLINCHED THE 2019 SPANISH LA LIGA TITLE:
Barcelona FC has successfully defended its Spanish La Liga crown after beating Levante UD in the final at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 27, 2019.
FIRST NON-BRITISH PRESIDENT OF MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB (MCC):
The former Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara has become the first non-British President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He will begin his one-year tenure in October 2019 and will succeed Anthony Wreford.
APURVI CHANDELA INDIAN SPORTSWOMEN HAS ATTAINED THE WORLD NO. 1 POSITION IN THE WOMEN‘S 10M AIR RIFLE EVENT:
According to the latest rankings released by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), Indian shooting ace Apurvi Chandela from Jaipur has recently attained the world number 1 position in the women‘s 10m air rifle event.
NEW COACH OF INDIAN VOLLEYBALL TEAM:
The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) has recently appointed Dragan Mihailovic (from Serbia) as head coach of the men‘s national team in a move linked to the long term goal of Olympic Games qualification..
GAME CHANGER‘ IS THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SHAHID AFRIDI :
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Pakistan‘s former captain and star all-rounder Shahid Afridi has recently released his controversial autobiography, titled ‗Game Changer‘.
AMUL HAS BECOME THE OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE AFGHANISTAN CRICKET TEAM FOR THE 2019 ICC WORLD CUP :
India's Dairy major Amul will be the principal sponsor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the 2019 ICC World Cup, which will be hosted by England and Wales.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC HAS WON THE 2019 MEN'S SINGLES TITLE AT THE MADRID OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT :
Top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-3, 6-4 to win his third Madrid Open Tennis title.
INDIAN CRICKETER HAS BEEN FEATURED IN THE WORLD‘S FIRST EXCLUSIVE WOMEN‘S CRICKET MAGAZINE ―CRICZONE":
The first edition of world's first exclusive women's cricket magazine 'Criczone' has been released in Jaipur, Rajasthan. In it, Indian team cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has featured as the cover story.
2019 CEAT INTERNATIONAL BOWLER OF THE YEAR:
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who made a mark for India and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, has been adjudged as International Bowler of the Year during the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2019.
WOMEN‘S SINGLES TITLE AT THE 2019 MADRID OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT:
Kiki Bertens has won women‘s singles title at the 2019 Madrid Open tennis tournament. In the final, she defeated Simona Halep 6-4, 6-4 in straight sets to win the coveted title.
FIRST WOMAN TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN SOLO IN A LIGHT SPORTS AIRCRAFT (LSA):
Captain Aarohi Pandit, a 23-year-old pilot from Mumbai, has become the world's first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA).
ISSF SHOOTING WORLD CUP 2019, IN MUNICH GERMANY:
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In ISSF shooting World Cup 2019, in Munich Germany, India's Saurabh Chaudhary has won 10m Air Pistol Gold. Apurvi Chandela grabbed a gold, winning the women's 10m Air Rifle competition in the ISSF World Cup 2019.
SANA BECOMES HIGHEST WICKET-TAKING SPINNER:
Pakistan off-spinner Sana Mir has become the most successful woman ODI spinner in history. She took her 147th wicket, highest ever by any spinner in One-day International (ODI) cricket.
TIGER WOODS AWARDED PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL:
US President Donald Trump best owed Tiger Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation‘s highest civilian honour. Woods is only the fourth and the youngest golfer ever to have received the highest American civilian award.
INDIA CONCLUDES BEST ISSF WC PERFORMANCE:
In Shooting, India topped the medals tally with five golds and a silver at the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany. Second-placed China bagged nine medals two gold, two silver, and five bronze medals.
STATE AFFAIRS:
ANTI-CANCER MUSHROOM:
A patent has been issued for extracting anti-cancer compounds from a wild mushroom variety found in Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. It was invented by Madras University professor Venkatesan Kaviyarasan and his PhD student J Manjunathan. Lentinus tuberregium is the mushroom variety identified by them.
ANTI DEFECTION LAW:
The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings initiated by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker for disqualification of three AIADMK MLAs for ―anti-party activities‖. The anti-defection law (ADL) was passed by parliament in 1985. The 52nd amendment to the Constitution added the Tenth Schedule (ADL). ADL laid down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection.
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IGST DUES :
The Tamilnadu government has requested the Union Finance Ministry for speedy disbursal of its share of the Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST).It has to receive the pending 5,453.82 crore for the financial year 2017 – 18. IGST is charged on movement of goods and services from one state to another. The Centre will retain 50% of IGST while remaining 50% will be devolved to States and Union Territories.
FRUIT SHOW:
The 61st annual Fruit Show will take place at the Sims Park in Coonoor on May 25 and 26.
The Sim‘s park was established in 1874. It showcases exhibits made of fruits locally produced in the villages surrounding the Nilgiris and at the Pomological Station in Coonoor.
CAUVERY WATER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY HAS ORDERED KARNATAKA TO RELEASE 9.19 TMCFT OF WATER TO TAMIL NADU:
The Cauvery Water Management Authority has ordered Karnataka to release 9.19 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu from the river Cauvery as part of the June quota. Water will be released from the inter-state contact point presently identified as Billigundulu gauge and discharge station. S. Masood Hussain was named as head of the CWMA (Cauvery Water Authority).
NEWS BITS:
Indian filmmaker, Achyutanand Dwivedi's film, 'Seed Mother', won the third prize in the international section of Nespresso Talents Awards 2019 in Cannes. An Indian police officer Jitender Kumar and a consultant Shikha Garg are among 115 UN peacekeepers and staff honoured by UN for their sacrifice. India captain Virat Kohli bagged the International Cricketer and Batsman of the Year award during the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2019. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged as International Bowler of the Year. US is withdrawing from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, in response to concerns from gun rights activists that it could impinge on Americans‘ right to bear arms.
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Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma released four popular science books published by Vigyan Prasar. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has reduced the prices of 9 non- scheduled cancer drugs by up to 87%. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) introduced a weighting system for appointments under compassionate grounds. It will be based on nine criteria like family income, dependents, remaining service period of the deceased, etc. About 35% of India's total Graphite reserves are found in Arunachal Pradesh, as per the GSI report. This is the highest found in the country. Kerala‘s Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has made Aadhaar based attendance mandatory for all government offices in the state. All government offices are to install Aadhaar- based biometric attendance systems within six months, according to the 6 May order. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has partnered with the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA). Trans fat could be eliminated from the industrially produced global food supply by 2023 if the World Health Organization (WHO) has its way. A helping hand to cyclone-hit Odisha, the Tamil Nadu government has announced financial assistance of Rs.10 crore as an immediate relief contribution. Tuberculosis is one of India's deadliest infectious diseases. It claimed close to three lakh lives between 2012 and 2016, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh registered a high number of deaths per one lakh of the population. Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom and Sarita Devi won gold medals at the second India Open boxing tournament. The United Nations General Assembly has officially celebrated the first-ever International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace on 24th April 2019 for the international observance. World No. 1 Bajrang Punia won the gold at the 2019 Ali Aliyev wrestling tournament. In the final of men‘s 65kg freestyle, he defeated Viktor Rassadin inin Kaspiisk, Russia on May 2. Dr. NR Madhava Menon (84), the renowned academician and father of modern Indian Legal Education, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on May 8. He is credited for revolutionizing the field of legal education by establishing National Law Schools and by conceptualizing the 5-year integrated LLB programme. Based on latest data of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India declined for the first time in the last six years in 2018-19. China launched two Tianhui II-01 satellites from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, also known as
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Base 25. The purpose of the satellite is to perform scientific experiments, land resource and geographic survey, and mapping. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to send a probe named Aditya L1 to study the sun early next year. This is India‘s first mission to study the sun. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first vaccine for dengue, Dengvaxia. But it also put certain conditions that use dengue vaccine only in people who have a previous history of the disease. NASA has found evidence of a unique mixture of water ice, methanol, and organic molecules on Ultima Thule‘s surface. This mixture is very different from most icy objects explored previously by spacecraft till date. The New Horizon Mission was launched in 2006 to search for Kuiper Belt objects. Tiruppur district has achieved the highest pass percentage in both XII and X board results released recently. Top 3 districts in pass percentages are XII Results: o Tiruppur - 95.37 % Erode - 95.23 % Perambalur - 95.15 % X Results: Tiruppur- 98.53 %, Ramanathapuram - 98.48 %, Namakkal - 98.45 % ICICI Bank has launched a co-branded multi-currency card with online travel booking portal Goibibo. Anyone travelling abroad, whether they hold an ICICI Bank savings account or not, can apply for the Goibibo ICICI Bank Travel Card on the Goibibo website & mobile app. A renowned Nepali mountaineer, Kami Rita Sherpa has created history by successfully scaling the Mount Everest peak (8848m) for the 23rd time on May 14, 2019. India has recently signed the new global anti-terror initiative ‗Christchurch Call to Action‘, which is the brainchild of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron to fight terrorism. World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized Algeria and Argentina as malaria-free countries, after no new cases of the deadly disease have been reported for at least 3 consecutive years. TIJJANI Muhammad-Bande, a professor and former vice chancellor of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has been appointed the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 4 new judges of the Supreme Court will take oath of office on 25 May 2019, raising their number to 31.Justices B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Aniruddha Bose and A.S. Bopanna will be administered oath of office by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.
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